Acquiesce
by Ms.Jackson53
Summary: no matter how much he regretted it, Stoick just couldn't stop hurting his son.
1. Chapter 1

Hiccup knew he was foolish to believe it was over. Things had been different after Hiccup had defeated the red death, his father had been proud, his village had finally seen him as one of them, and most of all Stoick had stopped beating him. But like always Hiccup's luck didn't last.

Hiccup currently swept and cleaned the house for when his father would come home. He made sure to do everything he possibly could to keep his father in the good mood he's been in since the battle at the nest. He would clean the house, wash his fathers clothes and always make sure there was a cup of ale on the table for when he father would burst through the door exhausted from his chiefly duties.

Today was no exception and he was very much pleased with how sparkling clean the entire house was. Hiccup walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of ale and rested it in front of the seat his father always took. He walked over to his father's leather chair that rested next to the crackling fire-place and placed some soft furs onto the seat, so Stoick will be comfortable when he finishes his ale and decides to take a seat in front of the fire and relax, like he usually does.

Hiccup turned as he heard the creak of the doorknob. Stoick stepped into his house to find swept floors, sparkling clean dishes and Hiccup standing next to his leather chair staring at him with large green eyes.

Even after Stoick had stopped hitting the boy, Hiccup still inadvertently flinched and cowered from his touch. It always hurt Stoick to see the fear that resided in the boys eyes, he hated the way he had treated the boy, but when his anger took over there wasn't much he could do, at the time it would seem reasonable, it would seem like Hiccup deserved it. But when he would look down at his son to see him lying on the floor and bleeding, with heavy tears rolling down his fragile and beaten face, he would know that he had failed her.

Stoick walked over to the boy his heart aching a little as Hiccup cowered slightly under his looming form, and flinched as he dropped his large hand onto his small shoulder.

"Hey dad" Hiccup said trying to sound nonchalant.

"Hello son" Stoick greeted back as he ruffled the boys hair and walked passed him and into the kitchen.

Stoick took his seat at the table and drank the ale that was always there. He knew he should at least thank hiccup for always cleaning the house and setting a cup of ale for when he gets home, but for some reason he just can't. The other part of him, the part that strikes the boy just for saying the wrong thing, doesn't want to acknowledge how it treats the boy, that maybe Hiccup doesn't deserve this, this part of himself waits for the boy to make a mistake, it waits for the opportunity to watch the boy whimper and hurt, it waits for power and control.

Hiccup takes his seat next to his father, with a gleam in his eyes happy that maybe today he'll once again get lucky and not be hit.

"So dad I had this idea about how we could improve the saddles" Hiccup said as he brought out the small notebook he kept in his pocket along with his charcoal pencil.

He did this most nights, rattling off ideas as Stoick drank his ale, Stoick didn't mind, he liked hearing the boy talk, watching the gleam in his eyes as he went on about new inventions or improvements, he knew Hiccup was finally happy to be listened to, and he was happy for his son.

"That's sounds like a great idea" Stoick said beaming at his son, once he had finished talking.

Hiccup had a small genuine grin, he loved hearing his father proud of him, before the red death, Stoick barely acknowledged the boy unless it was to beat him, but now his father was finally proud of him.

"Thanks dad"

Hiccup stood happily, heading to his room. Maybe things have changed.

But of course it didn't last. On his way past his father, hiccup's hip hit the edge of the table. The boy watched in his horror as the mug of ale his father had just placed back on the table fell over and poured all of its contents onto his fathers lap. Hiccup for the first time noticed that his fathers notebook was resting on his lap, the notebook where he kept everything, his battle plans, improvements for Berk, everything. And it was now permanently ruined by Hiccup's clumsiness.

Hiccup could only stand there and watch as his father raised his head towards him with a look of anger, a look he recognized, the look he always got before his father hit him, the look he hoped he would never see again.

Before Hiccup could sputter an apology his father's hand had already cracked across his cheek in a harsh and violent slap that sent needles of pain crawling along the entirety of his face.

Hiccup fell to the floor clutching his now red cheek. Despite himself a single tear rolled down his cheek before he could stop it.

Stoick stared down at his son with anger boiling inside of him.

 _He deserved it._

Stoick watched as a single tear rolled down his son's small face.

 _You did the right thing._

His eyes were full of fear, pure and utter fear. You're not supposed to fear your father, you're not supposed to cower in his presence, or be scared of the next time he inflicts pain on you.

 _What have I done?_

"Hiccup" Stoick said as he dropped to the floor on his knees in front of his son.

Hiccup, stumbled back a bit "I-I'm sorry I didn't m-mean to" Tears were pouring down Hiccup's face, as he spoke.

Stoick felt his stomach clench, He hoped just as much as Hiccup that this wouldn't happen again, but it always did, No matter how much he regretted it, Stoick just couldn't stop hurting his son.

Stoick wrapped the boy's small and trembling form in his arms running a soothing hand through his auburn hair, "Shh, it's okay" He cooed, to the shaken boy.

Why couldn't he stop? Why couldn't he see what he was doing?

He had a good reason before, or at least he thought he did, Hiccup was tripping over his own feet and unintentionally humiliating Stoick every chance he got.

Now things were different he saw what he was doing, he saw how much Hiccup didn't deserve it.

But there was still a part of him that just couldn't see things that way.


	2. Chapter 2: we're here

Gobber was mad.

That was an understatement. His large fist embedded itself in the wall of the back room as he pounded into it again and again and again.

Hiccup winced each time that large fist hit the already unsteady wall and put the small shack which was the forge even more on the verge of collapse.

He finally pulled his fist away from the wall that now sported a large hole for the last time and turned back to Hiccup with fire in his eyes.

"He told me he would never do it again," He growled as he started to pace, "He promised me he wouldn't"

His remaining fist was clenched and his lips were pulled back in a snarl.

"It was an accident" Hiccup spoke, just above a whisper.

"I don't care" Gobber almost roared, "It never had to happen, even before, he lets his anger take a hold of him and he hurts you and it's not right"

"I- it was my fault" Hiccup said once again in a barely audible whisper.

Gobber's head snapped over to him, "What did you say?" he demanded.

"I-I spilled his ale and I ruined his notebook, it was my fault"

"Hiccup" Gobber started, "Hurting you is not worth a notebook or any notebook, he shouldn't hit you no matter what" Gobber said with finality.

Hiccup wanted to argue but he knew Gobber wouldn't listen. The man was seething.

Hiccup frowned. He didn't mean to do this. It was his fault Gobber was mad. It was his fault for ruining his father's notebook.

Gobber sighed when he noticed the distressed look on the teen's face. One of Hiccup's downsides was his inferiority.

"Hey" Gobber walked over to the teen and placed his large hand over Hiccup's cheek, practically engulfing half the dragon-rider's face.

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to Stoick and we'll settle this, okay? why don't you go look for Snotlout or Astrid"

"But shouldn't I-"

"Take the day off Hiccup, I'll give you extra work tomorrow" Gobber smiled knowing Hiccup didn't want to slack off on his work.

Hiccup sighed, "Okay" He relented, wrapping his arms around Gobber's thick neck, "Thanks Gobber"

"You're welcome son"

Gobber loved calling the boy that because on many levels he felt that the boy was very much like a son to him, he cared for him like he would his very own.

It hurt to see the boy hurt. Before the battle at the nest, before Hiccup was accepted as part of the village we were all used to seeing him hurt, to seeing him walk with a limp, or to have a face full of bruises.

He always came to the forge after Stoick's beatings. He would cry into Gobber's chest and go on and on about how it was his fault, how he deserved it for not being strong enough or skilled enough.

Gobber would tend to his wounds and rub his back until the boy fell into a fitful sleep and Gobber would stew about how unfair the world was to the poor boy.

He pulled the boy away and smiled down at him. He rubbed his thumb over the deep purple bruise on Hiccup's cheek and pushed his auburn hair out of his large emerald eyes.

The boy was fragile and small and the farthest thing from a fighter and Gobber knew Stoick just couldn't accept it.

…

Hiccup sat beside Snotlout on the rocky shore of the river as the other boy scowled at him, or more specifically the bruise that consumed the majority of his cheek.

The older teen no longer felt resentment towards his cousin but now a fierce protectiveness and Snotlout had no doubt about who had given the boy the bruise.

"It was Stoick wasn't it?" He snarled.

Hiccup's eyes flickered down as though he suddenly found the hard and muddy ground far more interesting. It was all the answer Snotlout needed.

"It's not a big deal Lout, please just let it go," he said softly.

"Not a big deal!?" Snotlout growled, grabbing Hiccup's chin and forcing him to look at him, "THE HELL IT"S NOT!"

For a moment the emerald-eyed boy was shocked, than his bottom lip started to quiver and his eyes started to water. Snotlout immediately wanted to kick himself.

He was never good at being soft or caring like Hiccup and he wasn't good at the whole considerate thing either.

Tears were streaming down Hiccup's small and bruised face. Snotlout sighed and pulled the boy into a hug.

Hiccup wrapped his arms around him and buried his head into Snotlout's fur vest, his shoulders shaking with his sobs.

The boy was far too emotional. At first he had seen it as a weakness like every one else but now he finally understood why. No one ever cared for him besides Gobber.

Snotlout didn't see it at first but none of them cared that the poor boy was hurting, that he was always bruised and bleeding, none of them gave him the time of day. All they ever did was berate him and yell at him and make him feel useless. Which was the name Snotlout vowed to never call him again.

Snotlout clutched Hiccup's fur vest as the small boy's tears stained his own. He would never let that happen again, Hiccup was his family and the fishbone didn't deserve an ounce of the abuse he had gotten.

He wanted to make Stoick pay, he wanted to show him what he had done, what they had all done.

…

After many reassurances to Snotlout that he was going to be okay Hiccup finally made it home. The sun was just setting and he wanted to take the time to watch the gold and pink stretch across the sky.

After sitting on his door step and watching the sun and all it's light disappear shrouded by indigo's, purples and blues and finally dropping into a starry night sky.

He sighed. His sunsets always ended, his peace, just these small moments when he thinks things aren't that bad till he opens the door and a fist is pounding against his jaw and a feet cracking into his ribs, telling him how impossibly _worthless_ he is, what a _failure_ and _disappoint_ he's always been.

He knew things weren't like that anymore and that his father always has and always will love him. Sometimes it's just hard to love the thing that causes you pain even when it's always right.

Taking in a large breath Hiccup stood and opened the door slowly, praying for no creak.

Of course because the world hated him, the door creaked all through its journey to the wall besides him. He wouldn't be surprised if the whole village knew he made it home.

There Stoick sat on his fur covered leather chair that rested in front of the crackling and glowing fire.

From the way the logs seemed carelessly strewn into the fireplace, the iron poker sitting a few feet away on the floor next to an empty bottle of some of Berk's best whisky, there was no doubt about it. Stoick was drunk.

Hiccup gulped as his father turned to him, a gleam in his eyes.

"Valka?" He breathed incredulously.

Hiccup winced at the name of his long dead mother. It wasn't the first time his father had mistaken him for her while in his drunken state.

"No dad it's me" Hiccup said trying to keep his voice even.

Stoick laughed loudly shifting to where Hiccup could see another bottle of honey colored liquid sitting in his lap.

"Hiccup's only a baby Valka" he said staring at Hiccup longingly the way he would his lover, "So stop fooling around and come sit in my lap" Stoick said patting his fur covered lap and taking a swig of his whiskey before dropping it and letting it shatter into pieces, it's contents soaking into the wood floor.

"I'm going to bed dad," Hiccup muttered shuffling towards the stairs.

Before he could ascend the wooden steps a large hand clamped around his thin arm and Hiccup was sure that if his father moved just the right way his twig of an arm would snap in half.

Hiccup felt his stomach drop as he turned to his drunken father who had a look of lust dancing in his gaze.

Stoick had mistaken him for Valka many times but only one other time had he acted upon it because of how severely drunk he was.

The moment Hiccup felt a large hand land on his hip he knew it was happening again. There was nothing he could do now.


	3. Chapter 3: shame

Toothless didn't like the new rules.

Said dragon currently sat behind the haddock residence with a rope tied to a tree around his neck.

Unfortunately Stoick had walked into the kitchen one too many times to see Toothless lying on his back, purring, surrounded by half devoured fish.

The chief had finally kicked the rebellious dragon out. Of course Hiccup still came to visit with water, fish and stories of studying with Fishlegs or hanging out with Snotlout or sparring with Astrid.

Occasionally his dragon rider would untie him and they would soar through the clouds, Hiccup laughing and petting him and telling him what a good friend he was.

Those were the time Toothless enjoyed the most, being with his loyal dragon rider.

But of course Hiccup would eventually retire to bed and leave the dragon to the cold, lonely night.

He longed to be with his dragon rider, curled around Hiccup as he slept, warm and safe.

The dragon plopped onto his tailbone. It was once again one of those long nights. He had heard the door open earlier and glass shattering but the dragon had dismissed it to be his clumsy dragon rider breaking something.

So with a sigh toothless dropped onto his stomach crossed his paws and rested his head against the appendages. His green eyes drooped and just before sleep had him in its depths he heard it.

A single pained desperate whimper coming from his dragon rider's house.

…

Stoick placed a large hand onto the small face in front of him. He stroked the smooth skin beneath his thumb with a contented sigh.

He knew who was beneath him. It wasn't his wife. Valka had died years ago. But he could let his drunken and desperate mind believe that the small trembling form beneath him was her.

Hiccup had her soft skin, her silky auburn hair and large beautiful emerald eyes. And even though it was Hiccup and he knew it. He couldn't stop himself, he needed to feel Valka, he needed her soft touch and delicate features.

The hand that resided on Hiccup's hip moved up and under his shirt traveling up his bare side and riding the green material up.

"Please dad, stop" Hiccup looked up at him with watery green eyes.

Stoick ignored the plea and wrapped his arms around Hiccup's small waist and pulled the much smaller form against him.

He buried his head into the crook of Hiccup's small neck and started trailing kisses along the flawless skin.

Hiccup pushed against the much larger chest with a whimper as his fathers kisses got sloppier and rougher.

Finally with one more push his father's large arms unwound from around his slender waist and Hiccup toppled to the ground with a few tears running down his round cheeks.

His father dropped to his knees in front of him and tried to resume his kissing but Hiccup planted his small and delicate hands on Stoick's shoulders to keep the lust driven man at bay.

"You know it's me dad, please just stop" Hiccup pleaded, his bottom lip trembling slightly.

Stoick froze. Valka's beautiful, smiling face melted away, and there in front of him sat his son, rosy, tear stained cheeks, trembling lip, large fear filled eyes. For a moment his face was blank and then it crumpled in anger. Stoick fisted his red hair.

"Why can't you just let me have this!" Stoick Yelled.

He just wanted one thing, just one thing and Hiccup had to ruin it, tear it away from him like everything. A part of him the rational, reasonable and caring part knew that he was just looking for something to blame, to vent his anger through. And that something, whether he regretted it or not was always Hiccup.

Hiccup didn't see the hit coming but one moment he was staring into his father's boiling gaze and the next he was sprawled on his side, vision blurring and pain throbbing in his temple.

Hiccup gasped as a large boot clad foot slammed into his stomach. All his oxygen abandoned him and he could almost feel his already flat stomach concave.

He could hear his father above him, cursing and spitting obscenities like usual, "Selfish," "Worthless," "Nothing."

Words he had heard since he was old enough to hear them and even then each one still felt like a knife twisting right into his stomach. The words hurt more than the beatings and Hiccup would take a hundred beatings if he never had to hear his father call him them again.

Stoick didn't stop kicking and punching till a bloodied lump lay at his feet.

He panted staring down at the barely conscious boy sprawled on the floor in front of him. He dropped to his knees still panting. Hiccup was panting too but it sounded more like broken wheezing.

Stoick stared at his son for a moment. Hiccup lay on his side, a thin arm slung over his stomach from futilely trying to protect it from the harsh kicks. His auburn hair fell over his heavily lidded green eyes and tears poured down his bruised and blood stained pale face.

Stoick could feel tears welling in his eyes. Vikings don't cry. But seeing the state of his son, the state he had put him in, there was nothing else to do. He placed a large hand over Hiccup's cheek, running his thumb along the soft, marred skin. And the tears fell.

Stoick heard the door breaking and swinging open, he could hear the crooning from the dragon behind him and the soft patter of said dragons feet padding along the wooden floor.

But he sat beside his son and stroked his bloody, purple cheek waiting for those green eyes to open.

A black mass of dragonhead swam into his vision. Toothless nudged his snout against Hiccup's head but the boy remained motionless, his head flopping back limply to the ground.

And that's when the dragon's eyes landed on him, not the green eyes he wanted. Toothless' lips pulled back into a snarl he didn't know the dragon was even capable of. The dragon leaped onto him, his teeth snapping out as he dug his large feet into Stoick's shoulders. The crooning was mad now.

Stoick could see purple starting to glow from between the dragon's teeth. He closed his eyes. He deserved it. The dragon growled and he could feel the heat emanating from the plasma blast that would burn him into oblivion.

"Stop" The voice was barely audible, a shaky and broken whisper.

But both Stoick and Toothless heard it. Both of their heads snapped to the side to see Hiccup with half lidded eyes, trying fruitlessly to reach out to his dragon.

Toothless immediately jumped off of him and bounded to his rider. He nuzzled against Hiccup's temple, crooning contently. He pulled Hiccup's limp body to him and curled around the boy who seemed to once again be comatose.

Stoick sat up. He could feel a headache piercing through his mind from the alcohol. Toothless' eyes snapped back up to him before his gaze fell back on Hiccup and softened. The dragon dropped to his stomach and pulled Hiccup onto his back, thin legs and arms dangling over the edges of the black beast. With one more heated glare directed at Stoick he walked out of the broken door, carrying the broken boy, no doubt straight to Gobber.

Once the dragon left Stoick let out a large breath and slumped onto the wooden floor. For a moment he just stared up at the ceiling.

Finally his head turned to the side and his eyes landed on his split and bloody knuckles. He stared at the blood that dripped off of his hand and onto the floor, swirling into the spilled whiskey, drawing patterns of shame.


End file.
